To The Future
by tommykayketchup
Summary: Sequel to Cupids Arrow and Second Chances. Three years on, what's going on with Emily, Naomi, Katie and Effy? Growing up is harsh, and as they will find it - it's almost never rosy.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Rating: NC-17 to be safe. **

**Notes: I've not written this story forever so I appreciate that some of you might have lost interest! This is the sequel to Cupids Arrow and Second Chances! It's based around three years in the future from Second Chances, and it's hopefully going to be a lot better. :) **

Emily wakes up late on Friday. It's cold. Too cold for a September's morning.

She pulls the covers up past her neckline, and snuggles into the warmth of the bed beneath her. Turning on her side she leans in to the right hand side of the bed, but freezes when the cold bed hits her, instead of the heat of the woman she loved lying beside her. Instantly opening her eyes, and scanning the room, she's startled to find she's alone.

She climbs out of bed and reaches for her slippers to avoid the cold floor. They really ought to do something about those laminated floors in the bedroom. They only make waking up a worse chore than it is already.

Emily makes her way downstairs with a yawn and a stretch and hobbles into the kitchen with an enigmatic spring in her step. "Well, good morning…" She says with a smile, sidling up to her girlfriend, and wrapping her petite arms around her waist.

"Very good morning to you too." Naomi smiles, and turns to kiss her chastely before turning back, and continuing to cook. "Syrup or chocolate?" she asks, already knowing what the answer is going to be.

"Mmm, breakfast." Emily purrs enthusiastically – her eyes molesting the food before her. "Chocolate, without a doubt."

Naomi laughs. "I was going to treat you to breakfast in bed, but you woke up too early." Naomi laughs, before flipping over the pancake in front of her.

"No Effy this morning?" Emily asks scanning across the kitchen which most mornings has Effy sat at the table with a cup of coffee and a cigarette.

"Went to work early which means, Miss Fitch; we have the house to ourselves, for once." Naomi smiles, and kisses her again this time less innocently, and more passionately pushing her up against the kitchen cabinets.

Emily pulls away from the kiss licking her lips, before darting her eyes back at the food. "Sounds good…but…maybe after the pancakes? Those look really yummy."

"Of course. It's not like you to resist food. Not even for sex." Naomi giggles before plating up Emily's pancake, and drizzling it with the chocolate sauce in the shape of a smiley face.

"Perfect." Emily calls taking the plate to the table before scoffing her face full of food and apple juice.

---

"I can't believe this is my final year in university already. It's gone so fast." Emily says later on when they are in a post coital cuddle.

"I know." Naomi nods, and continues in her slumber against Emily's shoulder lazily placing kisses along her collarbone.

"What then? I mean…do we stay here…do we go back home…do we move away? There is so much choice." Emily asks Naomi, smiling at the fairy kisses being assaulted onto her neck.

"We've got loads of time to talk about this, Em…right now…can we just…stay like this. Sleep for a bit. You wore me out." Naomi tells her, closing her own eyes in a tired slumber.

"You're worn out already? You need some more exercise babe. I could stand to go another ten rounds or so…" Emily brags laughing as Naomi flips her off without even opening her eyes.

"Yeah, and that's why you have the hormones of a teenage boy, Em and I don't. I do quite rather like my sleep." Naomi replies tongue in cheek, snuggling back under the covers, the crisp September air attacking her naked flesh.

"But you don't think this is important? Talking about the future? About our future...."

"Of course it's important Ems, but so is me getting some sleep. I've got to work tonight remember. It's alright for you when you're in your pyjama's watching Jonathan Ross with your cuppa and your packet of jaffa cakes, but I've actually got to be out there working to pay for us living here babe." Naomi rants a little bit into Emily's ear, getting more worked up.

"I know I know…it's just. We never see each other, and when we do…it's either sex, or sleep…I just want to talk once in a while, Nay. It's what lovers do. It's what couples do. It's what we should do."

"Fuck it." Naomi calls, prising herself up from her pillow in a sulk. "You want to talk, Em. Go ahead. What about? Global Warming, Katie, Eastenders, or what..?" Naomi replies flippantly.

"Us, Naomi. Us." Emily replies bluntly.

"What about us? We have to make every decision now then, do we?" Naomi asks incredulously. "What we're going to eat every day for the next 80 years? What clothes we'll wear for each others funeral?" Naomi snaps.

Emily takes a breath and wonders when it stopped being a conversation and more into an argument. As much as she loves the blonde, she hated this side of her. The flippant angry side that reared its head every so often.

"I'm not talking to you when you are like this…God. Just…get your fucking sleep." Emily says with a grunt throwing herself off the bed, and slams the door behind her.

"Fucking hell." Naomi says slapping her forehead with her palm.

---

"And the award for 'Miss Dramatic Of The Year' award goes to…" Naomi mumbles as she opens the door into the lounge and sits alongside Emily on the couch.

"Oh. Now you want to talk, Naomi?" Emily says, clearly still in a strop.

"Look. I'm sorry alright. I'd love nothing more than to sit and talk to you, Ems. Really. But, I need sleep because I've got to traipse the countryside in the middle of the night, talking to crappy farmers that smell of horse shit, and other random smells you find in the country, writing shit articles that no-one cares about, that no-one will read when I could be lying in your arms, kissing your lips, and listening to you snoring -"

"I don't snore."

"Yeah, you do a bit. It's a cute snore."

Emily makes a random noise that sounds something like 'mnergh' before tapping the seat next to her, encouraging Naomi to move alongside her, closer to her. "I just…wanted to make sure we were on the same page is all. That we both know what we want in our future."

"Listen to me, Ems. All I want. All I want in my future is you." Naomi tells her earnestly.

Emily blushes a little before tightening her grip on Naomi's hand. "Same."

In that second the tension following the argument disperses. They embrace in a passionate kiss, their lips tenderly meeting together, and forming one act of love; one act of solidarity and one pure act of wanting.

"Knock knock faggots, I'm coming in." a familiar voice calls from the other side of the front door.

Naomi breaks away from the kiss and wipes her lips, wishing they hadn't been interrupted at that moment. Emily looks just as peeved as she takes a deep breath trying to compose herself. Every kiss from Naomi drives her wild, and Naomi was right. She really was a teenage boy. She couldn't deny it.

"Let yourself in Katie why don't you." Naomi calls with a smile

"I will do." She replies sarcastically. "I'm just looking for Ef. Is she around?" Katie says as she pokes her head around the door. "Hi, guys."

"She's at work till five. She told me to give you a message though…" Naomi tells her with a smile. Emily looks at Naomi blankly.

"Oh, what did she say?" Katie asks happily.

"This." Naomi swiftly sticks her middle finger up at Katie and smirks.

"She didn't tell you to tell me that did she?" Katie asks, unimpressed.

"No."

--

"I was thinking." Emily says to Naomi that night over dinner with Effy and Katie. "We could go somewhere…for our anniversary. It's coming up, and I want to celebrate."

"Like where?" Naomi says while sipping a spoonful of tinned tomato soup carefully, blowing on the hot liquid.

"Take her to London and buy her some clothes." Katie offers redundantly knowing full well any clothes Emily would buy would give her rights to steal them at every opportunity, just as she did when they were kids.

"Clothes that you'll no doubt wear instead?" Naomi laughs, knowing Katie too well.

"Pretty much." Emily agrees. Katie proceeds to flip her off instead.

"We've known you too long, Katie. We know what you're like."

Katie smiles and decides not to reply. It's true. She would probably take them anyway. "Ef. You've been quiet lately. What's up?" She asks looking at Effys' vacant expression, as she sits playing with a piece of bread. Effy continues to stare into space not noticing the change in conversation.

"Ef…what's with you…?" Katie says waving a hand in front of her face before resorting to throw a piece of bread at her.

"What…oh nothing." Effy finally replies before snapping out of her daydream.

"Maybe she's in lurve." Katie mocks, before starting to talk about herself and the blossoming relationship between her and Ste, barely taking a breath.

Katie had begun seeing Ste during their first year at University. They began by being dorm mates, until passion took over. They've been together for on and off for around 3 years.

"So it's going well then?" Emily asks.

"I think. He's great and not just in bed."

"And I'm finished with my soup. Thanks for the detail Katie." Naomi cries, dropping her spoon into the bowl.

Katie scoffs. "Relax homos. I just meant I'm happy."

"That's great Katie." Emily smiles, as she takes a sip of the wine in the wine glass in front of her. "Ew, this wine tastes like horse shit."

Effy slowly gets up from her seat, and walks out of the room. Seconds later, the trio hear the front door slam.

"What's her deal?" Katie asks.

"Don't know…she's been acting weird for a while." Emily says calmly looking to Naomi for an expression. Looks shocked when Naomi is doing everything but paying attention. "Naomi…do you know something we don't?"

"What…no…how would I?" Naomi replies biting her lip.

"You're a shit liar, Campbell. Tell us what you know." Katie retaliates.

"I should…go and see if she's okay." Naomi says getting to her feet, and straightening down her skirt, pushing her chair under the table with a screech.

"Overdose on crazy pills, I think" Katie laughs.

Emily smiles before taking another sip, forgetting it takes like pure acid travelling down her throat. "Shit! Fucking wine."

"Chill Ems. You're used to foul things. You lick pussy."

Emily sighs. "Mature, Katie. Real mature." Emily scowls. "Where the fuck do you buy this shit from?"

"It's Asda's Smart Price. It's the cheapest we could afford. What the fuck do you want shitting Pinot Grigio?"

"Still tastes like piss." Emily says, getting up to get a glass of juice instead.

"Why don't you take Naomi to Paris? Have a dirty weekend there…"

"Dirty weekend?" Emily says nearly choking on her orange juice. She manages to swallow the liquid without squirting it down her top.

"Okay, it was a joke. Lighten up." Katie says in retaliation.

"No…It's not actually a bad idea, Katie. I mean, it's where we first kissed. Where we both fell in love…where we started dating…" Emily tells her, smiling at the memories forming in her head.

"I still can't believe you hooked up on that trip and I didn't even realise." Katie says biting her lip.

Emily doesn't say anything for a second before her voice breaks as she speaks." Well you were a different person then."

Katie shuffles her chair closer to Emily, and looks at her deep into the mirror image of her own eyes. "Ems, I want to talk to you about something…"

"About what?"

"You can't tell anyone. Not Ste, not Naomi, not Effy, no one."

"Okay…"

Katie places her hands on her head and sighs loudly. "Fuck. Say, hypothetically, I used to really like someone like…secretly…and they've come back into your life, and you're with someone else…and…you don't know what you should do, because you're both seeing someone, and…fuck."

"Then the hypothetical version of you has a lot of thinking to do before you go and break your boyfriends heart, and the hearts of the other person and his partner."

Katie bites her nails. A habit she grew out of years ago after Jenna forced her to put that foul tasting Nail Varnish on them. "How do you work through something like this though? How do I know if I'm supposed to be with Ste?"

"Honestly, I don't really know. With Naomi…I just felt something. Something deep inside which made me realise I'd never breathe easy again without holding her, talking to her, kissing her. Even now when I see her, I…it's like a fire in me, and…she's so perfect. I know we'll be together forever. Do you feel like that with Ste?"

"I used to. But now all I think of is this other guy and…it's been such a long time since I've liked him, and I don't know if he likes me and…"

"This other guy…how long has it been since you spoke…"

"Not since college, but we caught up online, saying hey and what are we doing and stuff, and I told him about us and Naomi and Effy, and he said he'd come up and see us…but…I don't think he really knows."

"We all know him?" Emily questions, thinking back who it could be. There were a million guys back in college Katie had her eye on. It could be any one of them.

"I guess so."

"You can trust me, you know…" Emily says, wanting to know the truth.

Katie leans back in her chair, and brushes her hands through her hair. "I know I can, it's just…awkward and sort of…embarrassing."

"How come?"

"It's J.J." Katie reveals biting her lip firmly.

"J.J? As in…J.J…Oh wow." Emily laughs softly.

"Don't laugh, please. I know it's stupid, but I can't help it."

"I'm not laughing. J.J is a sweet guy. He's coming up then?"

"Yeah, next week."

"Maybe, when he's here, you'll feel differently, or…you'll feel it more. At least then you'll know what to do."

"I guess so."

**

Naomi sits on the wall in their back garden smoking, alongside a chain smoking Effy, just about to light up her third in fifteen minutes. "Effy…you know what you need to do, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's just…hard." Effy tells her, drumming her fingers on the brickwork beneath her.

"I know but, it's for the best. And…you should tell Ems and Katie. They deserve to know. They could help you." Naomi tells her earnestly, looking calmly into her eyes.

Effy's eyes. They've always amazed Naomi. They've always been so perfect yet mysterious. So powerful yet so weak. Now, they seem nothing but empty.

"No one can help me."

"They would if you would let them. I could help if you let me." Naomi tries to convince her. She places her hand on Effy's, and squeezes.

"I can't." Effy says firmly.

"You need to get it fixed, Effy. It's serious."

"I'm not a broken microwave. I can't be fixed. You can't fix cancer, Naomi."

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